Glass tank furnace



Sept. 27, 1938. J BIVORT 2,131,215

GLASS TANK FURNACE Filed larch 20, 1936 \NVENTOR HENRI JACQUES BIVORT ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 20, 1936, Serial No. 69,962 In Belgium March 22, 1935 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a glass tank furnace comprising above the glass electric resistances intended for the heating thereof by radiation.

In tank furnaces of this nature, the electric resistances are arranged at a certain distance from the roof and are located in the direction of the width of the furnace.

These resistances are generally supported by the longitudinal walls of the furnace. In this case, the furnace is of reduced width, since hitherto it has not been possible to make suitable resistances of greater length than 1.5 metres.

With the object of permitting the construction of wider furnaces, it has been proposed to use a number of resistances arranged end to end in the transverse direction, the extremities of these resistances being inserted in bricks forming a projection with respect to the roof of the furnace. This solution has in practice not given satisfaction because the projecting portions of the said bricks rapidly deteriorated. This rapid deterioration has not permitted the use of resistances end to end, and it has thus been necessary to be satisfied with using a single resistance and consequently furnaces of small width.

The present invention has for its object to permit the use of furnaces of large dimensions both in width as well as in length.

To this end, the electric resistances which heat the glass by radiation are arranged in cavities of the roof, preferably in a detachable manner.

According to an advantageous method of carrying out the invention the electric resistances are arranged in the direction of the axis of the furnace.

Other peculiarities and details of the invention will be shown in the course of the description of the drawing annexed to the present specification and which represents diagrammatically and by way of example, one method of carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section on the line I-I of Figures 2 and 3, of a portion of a tank furnace for glass according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-section of this furnace on the line IIII of Figures 1 and 3.

Figure 3 is a plan view of a portion of this furnace.

In these different figures, the same reference signs indicate the same elements.

There is shown thereon a tank furnace 2 containing a certain quantity of glass 3, which is heated by radiation by means of electric resistancos 4. These resistances are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the furnace. They are grouped in transverse rows in cavities 5 of the roof. The extremities la of these resistances rest on ledges 6a of parts 6 of the roof. They are surmounted by walls 1 which support other parts 8 of the roof at a certain distance from the parts 6 on which the resistances rest. The roof parts 8 are independent of the roof parts 6. They may be easily removed for example by the fact of their being suspended by cables 9.

To replace a damaged resistance, it is only necessary to lift the part 8 of the roof which surmounts it and to remove the walls I. If necessary the resistances 4 may be mounted in the walls I and be lifted out at the same time as the latter. The roof parts 6 may also be suspended by cables Hi. The different parts 6 and 8 of the roof 8 may be kept in contact one with the other by suitable devices such as struts.

The arrangement of the electric heating resistances I in the cavities 5 of the roof protects these resistances from the currents which circulate between the glass 3 and the roof. Furthermore, the arrangement of the resistances in the longitudinal direction of the furnace and their grouping in transverse rows have for effect to diminish the surface of the refractory bricks of the roof which are in the immediate vicinity of these resistances. Actually, only the lateral surfaces of the ledges 6a are subjected to an intense radiation on the part of the resistances 4. Furthermore, the roofs may be constructed more easily in the direction of the width of the furnace than in the direction of the length on account of their smaller dimension in this direction. The resistances, whilst not being of excessive length, permit the construction of furnaces of very large dimensions both in width as well as in length. The use of resistances of normal length is, furthermore, of advantage since the risk of sagging of these resistances is less than in the case of longer resistances.

The grouping of the resistances in transverse rows easily permits the heating of the mass of glass according to the part of the furnace where it is located. The detachable mounting of the resistances permits of their removal and their replacement according to the requirements at the moment without stopping the heating or the manufacture. The electric heating resistances for the glass could also be arranged perpendicularly to the axis of the furnace.

It is evident that the invention is not exclusively restricted to the embodiment shown and that many modifications may be made in the form.

arrangement and constitution of the elements used in its embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention.

What I claim is:

1. A glass tank furnace, comprising a roof, rows of adjacent blocks forming part of said roof disposed at a certain distance from each other so as to form cavities between them at the lower face of the roof, ledges on said blocks projecting into said cavities, electric resistances resting on said ledges, a'block above each resistance independent of the blocks on which the corresponding resistance rests, and suspension means for independently removing each of the blocks above the resistances.

2. A glass tank furnace, comprising a roof, rows of adjacent blocks forming part of this roof disposed at a certain distance from each other so as to form cavities between them at the lower face of the roof in a transverse direction relatively to the longitudinal axis of the furnace,

ledges on said blocks projecting in said cavities.-

electric resistances resting on said ledges, a block above each resistance independent of the blocks on which the corresponding resistance rests, and suspension means for independently removing each of the blocks above the resistances.

3. A glass tank furnace, comprising a roof, rows of adjacent blocks formingpart of said root disposed at a certain distance from each other so as to form cavities between them at the lower face of the roof, ledges on said blocks projecting in said cavities, electric resistances resting on said ledges, a pair of vertical walls resting on said ledges above the extremities of each electric resistance, a block resting on each pair of vertical walls independent of the blocks on which the corresponding resistance rests, and suspension means for independently removing each 01' the blocks above the resistances.

HENRI JACQUES BIVORT. 

